Perfect

1. Xander

C h a p t e r O n e

A L E X hanged his coat on the hook near the front door of his parent's house. His mother called him an hour ago that she wanted to discuss some matters involving his own future. His parents just didn't want to leave his private life alone that was why he came back where he used to live to argue for his full freedom. For Pete's sake, he was already twenty three years old.

He saw Cassandra, his fifteen year old sister, descending the grand staircase in front of the front doors and screamed her lungs out when she saw him as if she saw a ghost. She always did that to annoy him. He had to throw his pen towards her to stop her from her hysteria. Though his pen didn't hit her and landed a few stairs above her, she stopped screaming and laughed.

"Alexander! Welcome home!" She said after she stepped on the last step of the stairs and he didn't paid any attention to his sister but instead he was staring at his wasted pen. He just bought it and now he had to buy another one.

He heard the shuffling of slippers from the door leading to the parlor room and it opened. His mother who doesn't looked like her age came out running and opened her arms and pulled him in a tight hug. He saw Cassandra rolled her eyes before she went inside the parlor room.

Their house was designed like those houses during the Victorian era which was his mom's doing because back at her teenage years, she was so obsessed over novels, stories and movies concerning that era. Handsome dukes, earls, viscounts and so on. It was her teenage dream and she made it came true by building her own grandeur house. She even pretended to be the duchess and she wanted no—demanded to call her milady or your grace and he was used to it a long ago.

"How's my Earl?" Alex suppressed himself not to roll his eyes and smiled instead.

"I'm good, milady." He also has to talk like one.

He saw his mom smiled from ear to ear. "That's why I love you so much, Alex. I think I miss you."

"You think? That's—" Alex nodded "—great!" He faked a laugh.

"You're the only one to indulge me with my craziness here. Bernardo is so killjoy." He just sighed and loosened his neck tie.

"So what's this matter about my future?"

"Oh, yeah." She clapped her hands in excitement. "We arranged you a marriage!" She announced and it took him time for his brain to process what she said. And realization struck him.

"A what!?"

° ° °

T A Y L O R felt like he was on a swing and someone was drumming his chest. He knew the monkey who was bothering him early in the morning. It was his six year old nephew.

"Papa! Wake up!" Chester said repeatedly while he shook and drummed Taylor's chest.

Taylor groaned before he opened his eyes and saw Chester jumping on the bed and it made him dizzy and the mattress bouncing him.

It has been six years since Chester's mother, Cheska and Taylor's only sister and family left, died from gaving birth of Chester. Cheska never told her boyfriend, who impregnated her, that she was pregnant and Taylor didn't even know who the fvck was it. But one thing was for sure, Chester must be so much a lot like his father since he never inherit any physical traits to Cheska nor any of their family. But so far, Taylor had never seen any man who looked like Chester. And he didn't care if he couldn't find Chester's father. Chester already had him and his best friend, Ella, to take care of his nephew. They were leaving in the same unit with two bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room together with Ella.

"You promised we'll go to the mall today!" Chester shouted.

"Yeah. I know." Taylor said in a sleepy voice. "You take a bath first."

"Aye, sir!" Chester saluted and went to the bathroom running.

Taylor stood from the bed and fixed it before he rummaged in the white closet and pulled a green checkered polo shirt and a pair of pants for Chester. The door of the bathroom slammed open and Chester came out singing a Japanese song he learned from the television and a Winnie the Pooh printed towel around his body.

"Your clothes are on the bed." Taylor threw Chester's clothes to the bed before he went inside the bathroom.

° ° °

Taylor wanted to tell Ella that they were going to go. It was a shame that she couldn't go with them that day because of her work. Taylor opened Ella's bedroom door without knocking when he saw her in her underwear. She crossed her arms on her chest.

"Pervert!" Ella shouted and he just rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, I'm not interested, baby." Taylor said.

"Oh yeah. I forgot you're gay, baby." She walked towards me shamelessly. "Come here. Where's my good morning kiss?" She pouted her lips.

"I just want to say we're going to the mall for a while." Taylor said and slammed the door shut in front of her face. "Gross!" He shouted and he heard her laughed.

° ° °

Taylor dropped Chester in the bookstore. That was the reason why Chester was so excited that morning because every time they went to the mall, Chester always insisted to be left in the bookstore and read books there while Taylor went to the grocery to buy their needs.

He went to the grocery and pulled a grocery cart and wheeled it. After fifteen minutes his phone buzzed in his pocket.

It was Chester calling and it was also a very rare situation for Chester to call him during his precious time with his books. Taylor answered the ultra rare call.

"Papa!" Chester whispered from the other line.

"What?" Taylor whispered also.

"Someone's stalking me! I mean, someone keeps on looking at me and it gives me the creep!"

Chester sounded honest and it was a rare call and he didn't had any reasons to lie. Taylor's heart was filled with worries and started beating fast and things about kidnapping and child trafficking and all sorts of dangerous situations were running inside his mind.

"Stay where many people are. I'll be there."

° ° °

Taylor rushed to the bookstore and found Chester near the exit. He snatched Chester's hand who jumped in surprise.

"You're killing me!" Chester exclaimed in a whisper.

"Are you okay?" He scanned Chester. "Where was this stalker of yours?"

"He's inside. I think I lost him."

"Are you sure? Maybe you're just assuming yourself." He sighed.

"Of course not! I'm sure he was stalking me! He even attempt to have a conversation with me but I refused since you said I shouldn't talk to strangers." Taylor nodded just to stop Chester from blabbing. "But the unusual thing was he kinda looks like me." Chester frowned thinking.

Taylor froze and turned cold. It couldn't be. Of course, it couldn't be.

"Are you sure?" He asked the kid.

"Not so. But I can see myself at him. Do you think he's my—"

"No! He was just a complete stalker! I swear." Taylor grabbed Chester's hand and pulled him as they jogged and walked while scanning the crowd like a prisoner who escaped from jail.

Taylor's heart was hammering in his chest. It couldn't be his father. And if it was him, he would do anything so Chester and that man wouldn't meet again. But the fact that the man was already aware that he have a son was a bad fact. Or maybe not. Or yes, he might hire a search party.

He tightened his grip on Chester's hand to insure that he was still there and never leaving him. He couldn't imagine his life without that bookworm. He was his only family left.

"I'm not going anywhere, Taylor. So loosen your grip a little." Chester smiled to assured him and he breathed out feeling relieved. Chester was always been a keen observer and could read people which was the opposite of Taylor.

"Thank you." Taylor murmured before he loosened his grip a little of Chester's hand.

° ° °

Taylor owned and started a studio four years ago at the building next to their unit. He needed to gave up his two years of studying photography and became a babysitter then he decided to use—apply rather, of what he learned from school.

The location was perfect since no studio was around that area so somehow his business was sailing smoothly.

Costumers were waiting when he entered and Macy, one of his employees, motioned her hand to him. He went inside the counter.

"Mrs. Connor is here to fetch her daughter's wedding photo." She said in a whisper like voice and Taylor nodded.

"Of course." He turned and fetched the big photo, framed with brown flowers engraved on the frame. He smiled while looking at the photo. The lady was beautiful in her white wedding dress and the man was wearing a cream colored suit, his one hand was wrapped on the back of the bride's waist. They looked so happy. Of course, who wouldn't be happy.

Taylor congratulated Mrs. Connor for her daughter's wedding and wished them happiness. She thanked him before exiting the establishment.

° ° °

His next costumer was a student. Majority of the costumers there were students. Mostly for ID pictures, school requirements and graduation photos. Some were a whole family. Family reunions, weddings and so on.

Chester came out from the dark room with Max, his other employee and a photographer also. Since it was summer, Chester would be there helping small things like arranging papers and organizing things in the dark room where they developed the photos and films. Chester came to Taylor running and he shooed him when the next costumer went inside.

The next costumer was a new born baby with the parents. Aw! Their first picture together as a family. After the shoot, Taylor congratulated them.

He stretched his neck turning it to the sides a couple of times then steadied it up, down, and sidewards. Hearing and feeling it cracked made him sighed and closed his eyes when he heard the door of the studio opened.

Taylor was stunned to see who was the next in line that he wanted to hide away. The costumer in a black suit looked like Chester. It can't be. Was he the man who Chester was saying a week ago. How did he find us? Did he hired some investigators to track them using his sister's name?

Taylor observed the man who was busy glancing around his studio. Taylor wished that Chester wouldn't come out from the dark room which he always do.

Taylor stared at him frowning and on his guard as if the man would going to attack him any time. Taylor's facial expression changed from a very unwelcome frown to a warm smile while crossing his fingers when their eyes met. He should be a professional. Who knew he might be there to use his service and not because he was looking for Chester.

"Hi!" The man greeted him.

"Hey!" Taylor said with a smile. More like a fake smile. "Please take a seat." He motioned the stool in front of him.

"Thanks." The man sat and smiled. "Passport size, by the way."

Taylor dragged the white painted board as the background while the man was looking at him.

"I'm Xander." He introduced and Taylor frowned while his back was facing the costumer and smiled when he faced him and stood in front of the costumer and checked the camera.

It seemed like Taylor's facial muscles were going numb since he kept on putting a fake smile.

He pretended that he didn't heard the costumer's introduction, raised the camera on his eye and raised his index finger motioning it was the first shot. He couldn't deny that the man was handsome. He looked like Chester but Chester was cuter and the man in front of him was handsome.

Taylor clicked the capture button and moved the cam away from his eye and checked the image in the screen.

"Once more." He said and took a shot once more. Taylor thumbs up after scanning all three shots and made his probably last fake smile of the day smile. He let Xander looked at the pictures and he just nodded.

"How many years since this studio was built?" Xander asked. Taylor looked at him.

"Four." He said briefly and motioned his hand to the door to the lobby. "You can wait at the lobby, sir."

Xander smiled and thanked him. Taylor waited him to walked out of the studio and ran to the dark room. Max was teaching Chester how to print a picture and they both raised their heads at him when he entered. He locked the door and beckoned Max.

"I'll do the printing." Taylor said.

"Okay." Max stood from the shrivel chair and ruffled Chester's hair before he left.

The photo of the new born child with his parents were still ongoing so he let Chester do anything with the PC and positioned himself at the second computer and plugged the camera. He processed Xander's photo immediately since he couldn't wait for Xander to get out of his place.

Taylor went to the counter and gave Macy the six pieces of passport size photo of Xander. He saw him looking at the sample photos displayed on the wall of the lobby. Taylor went back inside the dark room and sighed as he sat on the shrivel chair while Chester was playing Plants vs. Zombies.

Taylor jumped when the door to the counter opened and Macy's head popped in smiling.

"Mr. Dobson wanted to talk to you." She said and he frowned. Who the hell is Mr. Dobson? "The man in black." She said when she saw that he was struggling to remember who was Mr. Dobson.

"Oh! The MIB." I glanced to the PC and printer and her. "I, um." Taylor said hesitantly. "I'm kinda busy here." She nodded in agreement and Max went inside from the other door that connects to the studio and plugged the cam on my PC and stole the other vacant camera and exited the dark room, which was not really dark. Macy nodded in understanding again and closed the door.

Taylor thanked Max sincerely for giving him another job to do.

° ° °

Ella dropped in the studio to fetch Chester and they went ahead to their unit. Taylor and Max needed to finish editing the wedding video of Mrs. Connor's daughter after Kenneth, the third photographer, handed the job to the both of them since he took a day off.

Taylor went back to the unit tired and saw Chester already sleeping soundly on their bed in his pj's. He sat at the edge of the bed and messed Chester's hair. He felt like he really was his father for six years but right that time, he felt like he was already running out of time. But he would do anything to let that Xander stay away from him as long as he could. He sighed and went to the kitchen after changing into him pj's and ate the food Ella left for him.

Sleep never came to him when his thoughts were running to that Xander. He was afraid he might took Chester away from him. He lived and worked his ass for six years and gave up his scholarship in order to have something to feed Chester and gave him everything he needed. Chester was his purpose why he was still living after Cheska died. And he was afraid to be left alone.

He spent his night caressing his nephew's hair in a fatherly way while staring at his calm and relaxed face. Time sure flies fast. He felt like it was yesterday that he cradled him on his arms crying while reaching his small hands to his face.

He fell asleep with that thought.

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